1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods for forming heat sink and semiconductor chip assemblies. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods for attaching heat sinks to semiconductor chips, wherein the heat sinks are aligned with the corresponding semiconductor chips using a detachable heat sink frame.
2. The Relevant Technology
After a semiconductor chip, such as an integrated circuit, has been manufactured, the semiconductor chip is typically subjected to a packaging process in which it is placed in a condition to be shipped to the consumer or to be used in a manufactured product. Chip packaging has a number of purposes, including protecting the semiconductor chip from environmental conditions, improving the ease of handling or transporting the semiconductor chip, allowing the semiconductor chip to be mounted to a printed circuit board or other external circuitry, and improving the thermal properties of the semiconductor chip. As the structures and circuitry contained within semiconductor chip devices continue to become smaller, it becomes increasingly important for the heat generated during operation of the semiconductor chip to be efficiently removed. Otherwise, overheating may occur, which can cause the breakdown or failure of the semiconductor chip.
One common method for improving the thermal properties of a semiconductor chip is the use of a heat sink to provide a conductive path for the elimination of excess heat. Heat sinks function in one or more of at least two ways. First, heat sinks preferably have relatively high thermal conductivity properties in order to efficiently allow heat to flow from the semiconductor chip and into or through the heat sink. Second, heat sinks preferably have relatively high specific heat values, which are a measure of a material's ability to store thermal energy. Heat sinks further enhance heat removal if they are in intimate contact with the semiconductor chip over a relatively large area and if the heat sink has a relatively large and efficient interface with the outside environment. Heat sinks may be advantageously formed from metals, common examples of which include nickel, copper, palladium, alloys of the foregoing, and the like. More generally, heat sinks may be constructed from substantially any metal or metal alloy and from some suitable non-metals.
Heat sinks may be attached to or combined with semiconductor chips according to various methods. For example, adhesives may be used to directly attach a heat sink to a semiconductor chip. Alternatively, a heat sink and a semiconductor chip may be encapsulated together using common polymeric materials. In this case, the encapsulating polymeric material further serves to protect the semiconductor chip from environmental conditions.
Conventionally, heat sinks have been combined with semiconductor chips by individually manipulating each heat sink and placing it on or near its corresponding semiconductor chip. Frequently, heat sinks are placed in position with a semiconductor chip shortly before or after a molding step in which the semiconductor chip is substantially encapsulated. It has been found, however, that certain problems are associated with applying heat sinks to semiconductor chips. For example, because the width and length dimensions of conventional heat sinks are often no greater than several millimeters, and may be substantially smaller, it is often difficult to reliably and efficiently align heat sinks with their corresponding semiconductor chips, particularly in high throughput manufacturing settings. It is therefore common for heat sinks to be misaligned with semiconductor chips, to become dislodged before the molding process, or to otherwise fail to be properly positioned. When this occurs, the packaged semiconductor chip may be rendered inoperable or the manufacturing process may be disrupted.
In view of the foregoing, it would be an advancement in the art to provide methods for reliably and efficiently aligning and combining heat sinks with corresponding semiconductor chips. Furthermore, there is a need in the art for such methods to be compatible with common molding processes that are used to encapsulate semiconductor chips. Such heat sink application methods would be particularly advantageous if they could be reliably conducted without the heat sinks becoming dislodged or misplaced before, during, or after the molding process is conducted.